The passport used by former Chief of the Finance Department of the Government of Tibet, Tsepon Shakabpa Wangchuk Dedhen during independent Tibet, has been recovered after many years of its missing, and now safely presented to His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama on March 29, 2004. The passport had received recognition from about seven countries in 1948 when the Tibetan Minister travelled abroad showing more evidence to the historical nationhood of Tibet.

Tashi Delek Delek!

It was wonderful yesterday as I woke up, high up there in the mountains of Sikkim close to Tibet. Holding a cup of hot steaming tea, I saw Ravangla Tibetan camp slowly warm up in winter morning sun. As the frost in the meadows melt and turn pearls, kids started appearing on the road carrying red and blue plastic chairs on their head - getting ready to celebrate Nobel prize day.

For the past three weeks I have been traveling to these Tibetan residential and business areas introducing the historic Shakabpa passport. This is a part of the donation drive our organization Friends of Tibet (India), has initiated.

Around 9 o'clock the the people of the camp slowly started appearing out of their hamlets still bellowing blue smoke. The school kids came about in uniform with their band party.

I was allowed a time slot to explain the importance of the Passport in the programme set for Nobel prize celebration. As I have done in seven places earlier I made my presentation, and then requested for donations.

I was in Kathmandu two months back. RTYC Kathmandu helped me organize a public meeting. This time, I started my marathon sort of a journey from Shillong, from there I went to Dimapur, Kohima, Kalimpong, Darjeeling,
Gangtok and Ravangla. At the moment I am hitting at the keyboard in a road-side cyber-cafe in Salugara. I am on my way to Calcutta. From there I would be going to Ranchi-Patna-Tata Nagar-Gaya-Varanasi-Bhopal-Nagpur-Pune-Nashik-Mumbai-Surat-Baroda-Ahmedabad-Ajmer-Jaipur. Later I will go to Kalachakra site and south India.

When I was in Nagaland, Mr. Nowark, UN special repoteur on Human
Rights, was in Beijing giving his report to international media. I heard him on BBC radio, and RFA. It's so good to finnally have the UN reporting what we have been shouting about. I was able to explain to our Tibetans sweater sellers how much it means to have the UN speaking our language.

Where ever the campaign has gone, I received overwhelming response to the effort and people are most forthcoming with their contribution. Until now the donation collection has reached three lakhs, and the moment the target amount of five lakhs is achieved we will immediately seal the collection.

Friends of Tibet (India) had earlier published invitations for donation in all four major Tibetan newspapers and magazines. We will later publish the whole donation list in these Tibetan media.

The 58 year old Tibetan historic passport was used by the then Tibet trade mission sent to china, England and the USA. Besides USA and UK visas and transit visas were issued on the passport by France, Switzerland, Italy, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. This makes the document one of the most important proofs of the status of Tibet as an independent country duly recognised by these seven countries.

I feel the overwhelming support to the donation drive is a significant gesture by Tibetans reclaiming their history and resisting Chinese claim of the dragon's sovereignty over Tibet. Although there had been offers of money from non-Tibetans, the offers were declined and the donation is being collected only from the Tibetans. The main aim is to reclaim our lost national property with the money from general Tibetan public.

We want to thank all organizations and individuals who helped and continue to support this on-going public donation drive.

Thank you

Love and freedom
tenzin tsundue
www.friendsoftibet.org

Other organizers who can be reached - Tathaga:09831017148 Shibayan:09831521747

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